Is a GMC truck just a dressed up Chevy truck?

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harrisonm

harrisonm

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I was always under the impression that a GMC truck was just a dressed-up Chevy truck. So my question is that if that is true, what is the allure? They cost quite a bit more to start with. I am not trying to be snarky; I am really curious.
 
GMC= Gay Mans Chevy, you gotta pay extra for the Gay. Anyone who hits the disagree button is definitely a Peter puffer.
 
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The GMC lineup is GM's luxury truck division, that's why you see all the neat things on the GMC truck's. I talked to a good friend of mine who works at the Chevy dealership in town. If you notice, the GMC truck's got the 5 way tailgate and all wheel steering, and the step bumpers before the Chevy truck's did and yes they are more expensive
 
LMAO! I was going to explain it exactly like Dan did but in reverse!

Chevy is the cheap **** version of the normal everyday GMC that is dumbed down with crap and repeats of lots of items. Etc….. You get the picture.
 
I am disappointed that anyone could be confused by this.
Many automakers did the same thing.
A Lincoln or a Mercury was often a fancier Ford.
The Oldsmobile and Buick were fancier than the Chevys. In the 80s, Cadillac offered a fancy version of the Chevy Cavalier. The Cadillac Cimmaron.....
Dodge was a bit more fancy than the comparable Plymouth models.
It was simply a matter of marketing a product to different demographics.
The Cadillac Escalade was and still is a Chevrolet Suburban.
 
I don't know about now days but there were --in the day--DEFINATE differences in things like brakes. It's been too long to sit down and enumerate, and you'd have to get into rear axle, suspension, and brake catalogs to dig them all out, but in the day, a C10 Chev was for certain "less heavy duty than a 1500 GMC

Again, no idea if that is still true
 
The Chevy and GMCs from 1973 to present are essentially the same. ALL GMCs have used Chevrolet engines since the late 60s.
Didn't Dodge and Fargo have the same fenders, doors and beds? The Plymouth Trail Duster was a Ramcharger with minor differences.
Even look at the Darts and Valiants. The 63-66 doors interchanged. From 67-76, the outer door skin stamping was the same. UNder the skin, despite the 106, 108 or 111 inch wheelbases, these were basically the same chassis.
GM Malibu, Pontiac Tempest, Oldsmobile Cutlass and Buick Skylarks were the same under the skin but up until the early 70s, they even had their own brand of engines. The mid 70s saw a lot of consolidation into the cars. "Corporate" V8s were Chevrolet. Buick built the 3.8 V6, Pontiac had the 2.5 Iron Duke inline 4.
Crossbreeding existed even across import to domestics. Mitsubishi 2.6 and V6 engines in Mopar Minivans, etc.
 
The 76-72 were some of the best looking trucks they made. Lots of differences in chrome and trim, but the biggest difference was the Chevy had a dual headlight front end and the GMC had four headlights. Nice lookin trucks. Also, another note, few people have seen one....I've seen two and know of one right now, GMC put Pontiac V8s in some GMC trucks from the late 50s up to about 65 or so. There's a guy in Gray that has an all original mid 60s GMC with a Pontiac 389. He's the second owner. It's a nice truck.
 
Kern Dog said:
I am disappointed that anyone could be confused by this.
Many automakers did the same thing.
A Lincoln or a Mercury was often a fancier Ford.
The Oldsmobile and Buick were fancier than the Chevys. In the 80s, Cadillac offered a fancy version of the Chevy Cavalier. The Cadillac Cimmaron.....
Dodge was a bit more fancy than the comparable Plymouth models.
It was simply a matter of marketing a product to different demographics.
The Cadillac Escalade was and still is a Chevrolet Suburban.
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What I'm disappointed about is why people have to be so ignorant and put down another American car maker. Mopar made just as many pieces of **** as any of the rest. In fact, you could argue on a percentage basis they made maybe more due to the fact they made less vehicles then the other "big two". Glass houses and all that, you know? I'm proud to see any older AMERICAN hunk of steel rolling down the road, I don't care what make it is.
 
During the 67 to 72 year span, the Chevrolet trucks had coil rear suspension and GMC had leaf spring rear suspension.
 
Yep, just a dressed up Chevy. They used the same bodies but different trim and interiors. I do think GMC was heavier suspension wise. They also had their own engines back then. Remember their old V6? GM went cooperate in about 77 and started putting Chevy engines in everything. That's when they turned into cookie cutter trucks.
 
toolmanmike said:
Yep, just a dressed up Chevy. They used the same bodies but different trim and interiors. I do think GMC was heavier suspension wise. They also had their own engines back then. Remember their old V6? GM went cooperate in about 77 and started putting Chevy engines in everything. That's when they turned into cookie cutter trucks.
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Yeah. I've always wanted a GMC 702 V12. Just cause.
 
The gm "corporate engine" was begat by the class action lawsuit over- "why is there an olds engine in my ponticac and a buick engine in my oldmobile, that's not what I paid for".

I always thought the furor over that (and there was a furor) was silly as Mopar and fomoco had the same engines in all of their divisions, for like, ever.

gmc was marketed as a heavier duty vehicle than the chevy. In fact they still use the slogan- "professional grade".

I do remember driving a 70-ish c-30 longhorn (extended long bed) into a bay during my gas station job days, and being astounded that it had coil springs in the rear with a crazy long and heavy control arm.

chevrolet
pontiac
oldsmobile
buick
cadillac

Was the suggested "trade up" order for gm shoppers.
When they devised that, lasalle would have been between buick and cadillac.
This explains why chevy and pontiac share some things the others don't and that holds true up the line.
 
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harrisonm said:
They cost quite a bit more to start with.
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Just resent I had found that the GMC is the highline truck.
Always thought the opposite. Figured the GMC was the work truck of GM.
Learn something new everyday.
 
YY1 said:
The gm "corporate engine" was begat by the class action lawsuit over- "why is there an olds engine in my ponticac and a buick engine in my oldmobile, that's not what I paid for".

I always thought the furor over that (and there was a furor) was silly as Mopar and fomoco had the same engines in all of their divisions, for like, ever.

gmc was marketed as a heavier duty vehicle than the chevy. In fact they still use the slogan- "professional grade".

I do remember driving a 70-ish c-30 longhorn (extended long bed) into a bay during my gas station job days, and being astounded that it had coil springs in the rear with a crazy long and heavy control arm.

chevrolet
pontiac
oldsmobile
buick
cadillac

Was the suggested "trade up" order for gm shoppers.
When they devised that, lasalle would have been between buick and cadillac.
This explains why chey and pontiac share some things the others don't and that holds true up the line.
Click to expand...
The Buick 350 was the most prolific engine used in that time period, because they had an enormous Amount of them left over. I'd MUCH rather have a Buick 350 than a Chevy 350 any day anyway. Way more torquey. The only "weak" spot on the Buick V8 was the timing cover. It was a high wear item, because everything mounted on it. Distributor, water pump, fuel pump and I think even the oil pump body was an integral part of the timing cover. There was a lot of action goin on in the Buick timing cover, but they were really good engines.
 
Demonracer said:
During the 67 to 72 year span, the Chevrolet trucks had coil rear suspension and GMC had leaf spring rear suspension.
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There used to be many small differences. Now, the car companies throw a different badge on it, and tell ya it's different. I remember when trucks were used as trucks....and rode, handled, and took the punishment they were designed for. Street going farm implements.

1962-dodge-power-wagon-front-3-4-1649354054.png
 
GMC is the truck division. Chevy and GMC half , three quarter and one ton were basically the same.
I owned all three trucks and all were Chevies and got all my parts from the GMC dealership
I had a 69 GMC pickup with the truck V6 they offered, you couldn't get a V6 with the chevy.
 
RustyRatRod said:
The Buick 350 was the most prolific engine used in that time period, because they had an enormous Amount of them left over. I'd MUCH rather have a Buick 350 than a Chevy 350 any day anyway. Way more torquey. The only "weak" spot on the Buick V8 was the timing cover. It was a high wear item, because everything mounted on it. Distributor, water pump, fuel pump and I think even the oil pump body was an integral part of the timing cover. There was a lot of action goin on in the Buick timing cover, but they were really good engines.
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We had a butt load of oil pressure issues with th Buick engines. Lot's of oil pump kits and timing covers. (Good for business) Did you know Buick had a
0 # oil pressure sender that wouldn't turn on the idiot light until no pressure. THat was a used car fix for the dealer.
 
Demonracer said:
During the 67 to 72 year span, the Chevrolet trucks had coil rear suspension and GMC had leaf spring rear suspension.
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Actually no, GMC also used the long control arm/coil spring rear suspension on 1/2 tons in that era. Worked on lots of them, and buddy of mine has owned at least 7 or 8, still has a 71 GMC 1/2 ton with that setup. Does make for a much better ride than parallel leaf springs and can still haul a decent amount of weight.
 
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